THE GROENEWALDS MAKE AN ART FORM OF THEIR WALLPAPER BUSINESS

Who’d have thought that creating a unique, made to order sanctuary of every room in the house can start with wall-paper.

Husband and wife team of fashion designer Alana and printing professional Jan are the couple who began designing and producing their own wallpaper to brighten up their living spaces and soon made a successful business of it. 

They invited us into their home – a family retreat and their greeted showpiece.

“This home was built in the early 1920 so it’s close to 100 years old. We knew when buying such an old home that it had a lot of work.  While we had a lot to do on it, we love a story and we love history along with the character of this old home. That is what initially drew us in,” shares home owner and fashion designer Alana Groenewald.

The husband and wife duo retained the wooden floors along with some of the original arches and alcoves, and concentrated on making the space more freelowing and comfortable for their family of four, while providing their businesses with a home to grow.  

Huge fans of the garden, The Groenewalds wanted the interiors to echo the outdoors so used a combination of dry flowers and potted plants together with locally sourced baskets and organic fabrics on the cushions to help create an easy yet lush and luxurious space.

Instead of a formal dining room, they incorporated an exposed brick wall, a large wooden table and persian carpet to make the kitchen space a cosy place for cooking, eating and entertaining.

Black pendant lights over the dinning table, large black candle holders, powder coated gold handles on the cupboard doors along with fresh plants and greenery add the personal touch.

It was a juggle between renovation, running two businesses and bringing home a newborn baby but the couple knocked it out the park.

“For the kids room we really wanted to stay with the same look and feel as the rest of the house so starting with Dawid’s room we kept the natural tones, a pop of colour and a bit of wall paper but this time just a strip above the dado rail.”

Dawid’s younger sister has a fantastical feature wall.

Alana adds, “Hanna’s room, in contrast to Dawid’s, is a much smaller space so we had to be wise about our furniture choices. We started off by designing a beautiful accent wall for her – that was custom designed by her dad. Again, we created something that is relevant for a four-year-old but can age with her for years to come I think,” shares the mom.

They’ve complemented the antiques by bringing epic, new nature-scapes into each room. The star of the show is definitely the wall paper that adds a unique feel to many of the rooms.

It feels right that a wallpaper enterprise begun at home now sees that house as its greatest advert.

“The idea of Groen Wallpaper originates with friends of ours who were busy with a renovation project and realising that with my printing experience and Alana’s creative background we could assist,” comments Jan-Hendrik Groenewald.

“Making a home unique is so important because it’s a reflection of who we are as a family, and needs to work for everyone’s needs and requirements. We really enjoy spending time in this home and that everyone has the space they need to be creative, free and together, adds Alana.” 

Creativity and family are what make for sanctuary in the Groenewald home.

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